Bridge table suspension tray



May 30, 1933. KERN ET AL 1,911,959

BRIDGE TABLE SUSPENSION TRAY Filed Sept. 26 1952 I N VEN TORS:

WM Z4 A TTORNE Y.

Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES ear FREDERICK E. KERN AND ELLEN G,TILTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI BRIDGE TABLE SUSPENSION TRAY Applicationfiled September 26, 1932. Serial No. 634,814.

kind referred to cut from a single piece of sheet metal or othersuitable flat stock, the same being out out or recessed to provide 15 anopening for accommodating the table leg,

the bifurcated inner ends forming the margins of the leg recess beingturned up for engaging the under side of the table, and means beingprovided for then suspending 2 the tray directly from the said corner ofthe-table.

Another object is to provide a tray of the kind referred to, the samebeing formed of a suitable flat stock and adapted to be 2 located at acorner of a square table, partly extended under the corner and partlyprotruding outwardly from the corner, the protruding portionoverbalancing the under portion and forming the tray proper, and

, 3 the under extended portion being formed or otherwise arranged tohave a bearing up against the under side of the table, means being alsoprovided for suspending the tray from the corner of the table.

Still another object is to provide a tray of the kind referred to formedof a suitable flat stock in a substantially elongated form, one endthereof being recessed or slotted to provide a leg engaging opening andthat end being turned -up and adapted to have a bearing at the underside of the table, the opposite end being extended outwardly as the trayproper, there being a means arranged medially of the structure forsuspending the same from the margins of the table.

With these and such other further objects and advantages in view as maybe developed from the following specification, attention is now directedto the accompanying drawing constituting a part of the specification,

the same exemplifying several preferred structures or embodiments. ofthe invention, and wherein V Figure 1 is a perspective view showing oneform of the invention as mounted at the corner of a table, the mainportions of the latter being broken away. v

Figure 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale, of the form of trayrepresented in Figure l. V

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the tray as shown in Figure 2.

Figure t is an end elevation of the tray as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modification, showing the leg recess formedlaterally instead of longitudinally as in Figure 2.

- Figure 6 is a plan view showing table engaging fingers or clips struckout and formed up from the sides of the leg recess, instead of theseparate bail as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4;

Figure 7 is a plan view showing table engaging fingers or clips struckout and formed up from transversely defined portions of the traymaterial in the process of forming the leg recess.

Figure, 8 is a plan view showing table engaging fingers or clips struckoutand formed up from the portion of the material constituting outerextended portion, or tray proper.

in Figure 5, this recess is formed laterally across one end. In eithercase this end of the structure is then turned or bent up as shown at 3and is thus adapted to bear at a up against the under side of the table5 upon which the device is mounted, while the body of the tray ispositioned somewhat below the top of the table, as shown in Figure 1,and is extended straight out to form and constitute the tray properindicated at 6. A bail 7, or table engaging fingers or clips 8, 9 or 10,are then provided for suspending the structurefrom the corner of thetable. As shown in Figures 2, 3 and i, this element comprises a smallrod or wire bail 7, having its ends soldered at 11 to the margins of thetray and then looped up and over to engage the corner of the table, thearrangement being such that the outer end or tray proper 6 overbalancesthe inner end of the structure, whereby the device is maintained in astraight out position to serve its intended purpose as a tray. In lieuof the separate bail 7 strips 8 may bestruck up from the sides of theleg recess 2 and these strips then turned up and over the top of thetable in the form of fingers or clips. Or, similar strips 9 may bestruck out transversely from the portion of the material normallyfilling the recessed end of the blank. Or, such table engaging fingersor clips may be struck out and formed up from the outer tray portion ofthe blank, as shown at 10. In short, within the contemplation of theinvention such fingers or clips may be struck out and formed up from anyportion of the blank, as may be found suitable for the purpose. Sideflanges 12 may, of course, be turned up along the margins of the trayportion 6, to prevent articles slidingoff. It will be noted that theinner end 3 of the completed tray is spaced substantially from the bail7, or strips 8, 9 or 10, as the case may be, whereby the point ofcontact of the end 3 up against the under side of the table 5 isconsiderably inward of the bearing point of the supporting elements 7,8, 9 or 10 at the upper side of the table, as clearly indicated in thedrawing, so that the outer end of the tray is supported in an out-thrusthorizontal manner, upon what may be termed a cantilever principle.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the method ofconstructing and using the invention will be fully understood. And whileI have herein set forth and described certain structural features andforms of the said invention, it is understood that I may vary from thesame as desired in matters of structure and detail, not departing fromthe spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. In combination with a table or like structure having a rectangularsupporting surface, a tray arranged at a corner of said rectangularsupporting surface, said tray comprising a sheet of material disposed ina horizontal plane substantially lower than the under face of saidsupporting surface and having a bifurcated end portion produced byspaced apart upwardly curved extensions which contact with the underface of said rectangular supporting surface at their outer ends only,and a bail in the form of a member of small cross-sectional dimensionfor contacting with the top face of said supporting surface, said bailbeing of U-shaped formation comprising substantially parallel upstandingportions which are connected at their lower ends to said sheet ofmaterial, and a bridge portion which connects said upstanding portionsat their upper ends and extends across the corner portion of saidrectangular supporting surface in contact with the top face thereof,said tray being in contact withsaidrectangular supporting surface of thetable only at the bridge portion of the bail and at the outer ends ofthe extensions of said bifurcated portion whereby the minimum damage dueto scratching is done tothe table, and said points of contact betweenthe tray and the rectangular supporting surface of the table beingoffset horizontally j to a substantial degree whereby the tray ismaintained in its proper horizontal position with respect to the tableupon the cantilever principle.

2. A tray adapted for arrangement at a"; corner of a table or likestructure having a rectangular supporting surface, said tray comprisinga sheet of material adapted for disposition in a horizontal planesubstantially lower than the under face of the rec-1 tangular supportingsurface of the structure with which the tray is associated, said sheetof material having a bifurcated end portion produced by spaced apartupwardly curved extensions which are adapted to con-;

tact with the under face of said rectangular supporting surface at theirouter ends only, and a bail in the form of a rod of circularcross-sectional shape adapted to contact with the top face of saidsupporting surface, said bail being of U-shaped formation comprisingsubstantially parallel upstanding portions which are connected at theirlower ends to said sheet of material, and

a bridge portion which connects said upstanding portions at their upperends and is adapted to extend across the corner portion of therectangular supporting portion of a table in contact with the top facethereof when the tray is in use, said tray being adapted to contact withan associated table only at the bridge portion of the bail and at theouter ends of the extensions of said bifurcated portion whereby theminimum damage to a table due to scratching thereof is done When thetray is applied to the table,

and said bridge portion of said bail and said outer ends of saidextensions of said bifurcated end portion which constitute the points ofcontact between the tray and the table being offset horizontally to asubstantial degree whereby the tray is maintained in its properhorizontal position with respeet to a table upon the cantilever princi-In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

FREDERICK E. KERN. ELLEN G. TILTON.

